The restrainer is the Holy Spirit because God is personally involved in what takes place on earth.
We see this with Job. God did not ask an angel to interact with the devil on Job.
Jesus restrained the devil in the wilderness. He ended the temptations at three and was only at the mercy of the wicked when ''His time'' had come.
The devil roams around looking for whom he can devour, who decides whom he can devour except for God?
If we look at how God removed the devil from heaven, we see He used an angel. So some can be forgiven for the thought that the restrainer could be an angel. But they miss the full picture. God did not want to get ''hands on'' with removing the devil. For me it points to Him showing respect to the devil. But on earth, the Holy Spirit is literally here. God has shown He wants to be ''hands on'' with us.
Now, one further fact to consider is that the anti-christ is in 100% opposition to the ''job'' of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. Fact. The Holy Spirit teaches us all about Jesus. Gives mankind a revelation of the ''true Christ''. 1 Cor 12:3 ''Nobody calls Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit''.
As such the anti-christ is in direct opposition to the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is most definitely the restrainer. Many say the church and saints are, but we are the product of the Holy Spirit at work.
'Now we beseech you, brethren,
by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him,
.. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us,
.... as that the day of Christ is at hand.
...... Let no man deceive you by any means:
........ for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,
.......... and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
............ Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;
.............. so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
.. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
.... For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
...... only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
........ And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth,
.......... and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:
............ Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,'
(2Thess. 2:1-9)
Hello @KingJ.I
Thank you for responding to my reply#32, and explaining your reasons for believing that the Holy Spirit is the One Who 'withholdeth' in 2 Thessalonians 2:6..
* Please bear with me a moment as I look at what is written in 2 Thessalonians. Paul had spoken to the Thessalonians face to face about the coming of the Lord, and had told them that before that day came, there would be a 'falling away' (ie., Gr. apostasia, or rebellion, a willful departure from truth). This is in accord with the teaching concerning the day of the Lord in the Old Testament. It is then that the man of sin will be revealed (ie., unveiled).
* As I have said in my response to
@Brother Paul in reply #32, (quoteL):- ' It is assumed by many that when the 'rapture' takes place that the Holy Spirit departs from the earth, but if that were true, it means that believers such as the faithful Jewish remnant, who will have to live through this dreadful period, are left without the Holy Spirit's aid!
Matthew 24:21-22 describes this period as a terrible time. If ever those who determine to be faithful whatever the cost, even life itself, will need the Holy Spirit, it is at such a time. '
' And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.'
(2 Thess. 2:6)
* The words, 'withholdeth' and 'letteth' in, Thess. 2:6-7 (KJV), are two words used to translate the Greek word 'Katecho', which means to hold firmly (ie., 'hold fast'), So,:-
'What' is it that 'holds fast' the man of sin? - and -
'Who' is it that holds 'something' fast in verse seven.?
* I believe the answer to
the first question, re. 'what', is to be found in Revelation 9:1-2 & 11:-
'And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth:
and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
And he opened the bottomless pit;
and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace;
and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.'
(Rev. 9:1-2)
'And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit,
whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.'
(Rev 9:11)
* The man of sin is 'held fast' by 'the bottomless pit' (or 'abyss'), until the' appointed season', or time of his manifestation to the world.
* The second question finds it's solution in Satan, who; holds fast' to his possessions, as 'prince of the power of the air' (Ephesians 2:2),
'Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:' until he is taken out of the way or removed. How this happens Revelation 12:7-17 describes. There is war in heaven; Michael and his angels fight against Satan and the fallen angels under his control, and the Deceiver is cast down to the earth with terrible results, leading to the Great Tribulation. When this happens, as a last desperate throw, Satan calls up his man from the abyss, and for a short time he dominates the whole world, Satan receiving, world worship through the Beast.
* This is what I believe to be the solution to both 'What' and 'Who'
'withholdeth', and
'letteth', in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7.
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris
